This page is the story of my life, through photos, stories, paintings, and my pictures.
I hope you find it interesting, and enlightening.
It is also the story of my heart condition and the Gift of Life, aa Heart Transplant on August 12, 2009. I thank my Donor and Wish his family well.
Ed
Welcome to my web site!
This web site is offering me the opportunity to pursue four interests, Heart Transplant, Professional growth, hobbies, and Ebay auctions.
On July 10, 2002 I was preparing for a trip to New Orleans, I spent most of the night sitting up as I felt uncomfortable lying down. On the morning of July 11, 2002, I Delayed my 6:30 flight to mid afternoon, thinking I had walking phenomena. My wife drove me to the hospital emergency room where I was diagnosed with CHF (Congestive Heart Failure) and a heart attack. After a catheterization and a decision that I could not receive a bypass, the Doctors began to discuss air transport to a transplant center. After 5 days on a respirator, and 6 days on a heart assist pump, I began to stabilize. I made a remarkable recovery and managed to walk out of the Hospital on July 22, 2002.
From my first visit to Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, Florida on July 29, 2002, until I was listed on the National transplant List as a class 2 on January 24, 2002 it has been an interesting journey. The Jackson Memorial Heart transplant Team have been a great resource and provided me many opportunities. On June 2004 weighing in at 220 lbs, I was released from the Transplant Program as my heart had healed to a point I would not need an immediate Transplant.
By October 2006 the CF had become worse and I began to be seen by the Shands Transplant Team, and declared a “good candidate” for a heart transplant. Dr Aranda is my Primary doctor and I began to see him on Tuesdays on a regular basis.
Starting on August 25th 2008, I was admitted to Shands and had a PICC line installed. I began receiving an inotropic drug, Milrinone, I was once again listed on the National Transplant List but this time as a status 1B, After a few days of treatment I had a right heart catheterization that indicated high pressure in my PA (Pulmonary Artery).
The doctors left a swan-ganz catheter inserted so the ICU nurses could measure my pulmonary artery pressure as well as my right ventricular pressure and was moved into ICU for a week, as a 1A status. By the end of the week, my PA pressure was within acceptable levels, so they prepared to release me. Once released from the hospital I continued to receive the IV medicine via a portable IV pump I wear in a fanny pack.
Since my initial cycle I have repeated the ICU stays on the average of once every other month.
In 2007 The Loop opened and I started a series of monthly Bob Ross painting classes. In May of 2009 the Art and Medicine instructor at Shands got me involved in acrylic paintings. I have some on the website but have created an addition site for them as well. Click here for the paintings.
On August 12, 2009 I received a heart transplant, I feel like a new man, better than I have for 30 years. Praise the Lord and his hands at Shands.
I am the webmaster for our local ISM affiliate NAPM-CF http://www.ism-cf.org and I wanted to operate a chat script and other special functions. I plan on using this web site to broaden the opportunities for our members.
My hobbies include computers and Model Warship Combat http://www.mwci.org/ . Model Warship Combat consists of 1/144 stand off scale models, battery operated, controlled by Radio Control (ground frequencies). The features that make them unique is the fact that the sides of the ship are planked with 1/32 balsa and that the ships carry CO2 powered bb guns. My ship the SMS Moltke is a World War I German Battle Cruiser, in the hobby it is a class 4, it has three 50 round bb guns, 1 bilge pump, two motors for propulsion.
